Read Luke 4-7
I want you to try to rem
ember. It may be hard, but try. Have you ever sinned? Come on…look deep and I’m sure that you will find some thoughts or actions that were not pleasing to God. To help us, let’s look at the three areas where Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness? Have you ever been tempted by hunger to the point where you tried to fill your life with all of the things that could never really satisfy, like money and prestige? Then, there is the ever present sin of pride. Is your life all about you? Maybe you have indulged in the area of power mongering and exalting things or people rather than God? Found one yet? If you found that you have sinned,…then you’re a sinner. If you didn’t find sin in your life, then I might suggest a bigger shovel! Yup…sin in all of it’s prideful ugliness. It doesn’t take much soul inspecting to see that we all have sinned.
Spoiler alert for those who haven’t read Luke 4…Jesus overcomes these three classic temptations while being all alone, with nobody looking on to post on Facebook or to impress, while in the wilderness on an empty stomach…forty days empty to be exact. He didn’t actually do it with one hand tied behind His back, but He overcame without sinning. You see, He was full of the WORD of God. That’s how He won the battle. We have a ways to go to be that strong, but reading the New Testament everyday is a great place to start.
Jesus continued on in ministry in Luke 4 – 7 and healed many people….or should I say,”forgave their sins”? Hint, hint…controversial statement…should He say “be healed” or “your sins are forgiven?” Read for yourselves in 5:20-24. Sin seemed to be a problem for these folks. They couldn’t seem to understand that Jesus was the Son of God, and that sin was separating them from God. All they had to do was read His “Mission Statement” from Isaiah: “preach to the poor, proclaim release to captives, give sight to the blind, set free the downtrodden, and to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord” (4:17-19). What a mission statement…and boy did He practice what He preached with command and authority. He took power over natural things like empty fish nets (unproductive day labor), unseen spiritual things like demons (nagging habits and stuff we don’t understand), human diseases with a death sentence like leprosy, and the most offensive of all, religious self-righteous piety. (Note: this particular battle takes plenty of courage and time away to pray). They tried to throw Jesus over a cliff for this one…Oh yea they did! Note that Jesus chose to return to the wilderness to pray in 5:16…seems as though Jesus actually found strength and solace being alone with God and did not have “residual parental blaming trauma flashbacks” or endless “couch sessions” scheduled from His lonely ordeal with Satan in the wilderness just a short time ago.
You see, it’s simple. If you have been forgiven much, then you know how to love much. Jesus was forgiving and healing to show you on a macro level how to love. Those who love little seem to have been forgiven little (7:47-48). Seems like a “no brainer,” but can I say it anyway, seek forgiveness from sin daily. Jesus came that you might be set free. He was on a mission, setting captives free. That includes you and me. Who or what is your master? What’s holding you back? Jesus holds the key to the handcuffs of your spiritual life. Grab a hold and turn the key,…Jesus. Keep focused on Jesus. He is the cornerstone that the builders rejected. Build your house upon the “Rock”. Don’t find yourself in the place of the religious leaders of His day? They stumbled over Jesus and were blinded. They needed a bigger shovel. Jesus said, “And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me” (7:23).
- Steve McNally serve as an MPW at Adventure Church
